Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Plenty to look forward to this Saturday with three televised meetings which all take place in the north of England, Haydock, Chester and Beverley. Haydock has four races on ITV, including the John Of Gaunt Stakes where Kinross is looking to repeat last year’s success for Ralph Beckett.
Similarly, at Beverley, there are four televised contests, nice to see the East Yorkshire track getting some decent coverage. This is all backed up by a Class 2 handicap from Chester. So plenty to get our teeth in this week and I have looked through all the cards to try and find some value, and here are my thoughts for this week’s Lucky Fifteen.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.20 Haydock. Rock Eagle
2.55 Haydock. Climate
2.40 Beverley. Wobwobwob
3.45 Chester. Fools Rush In
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
The main meeting of the day is at Haydock and I will begin with the 2.20, the Betfred Double Delight Handicap, a 1m 4f race. William Haggas’s Mahrajaan looks like the bookies’ choice after his exploits last season when he won three times. This is his seasonal reappearance and none of his wins has come in this class of race.
David and Nicola Barron’s Contact was a winner at Newmarket last month after a fine second at Thirsk previously.
Ralph Beckett’s Rock Eagle has been running well on the all-weather finishing runner-up in his last two races. He has shown good form on turf in earlier seasons and should be able to use that previous experience to good effect.
Kevin Ryan’s Forza Orta has never been out of the frame in nine attempts. That said, he has only won twice and both those wins came at Hamilton. He ran a fine second at York earlier in the month and is sure to be there or thereabouts but it’s Rock Eagle for me.
The Betfred Pinnacle Stakes is at 2.55, a Group 3 contest over 1m 4f. Sea La Rosa looks to be carrying favouritism for trainer William Haggas due to her form being so consistent. She has won in Listed company but on her only run in this class, she was beaten into third so some improvement is required.
Roger Varian’s Lady Hayes was second on her seasonal reappearance in a Listed contest at Goodwood. That was a good performance and she had David Simcock’s Folk Dance back in seventh. She should confirm those placings.
But I have my eye on an Irish raider, Mrs John Harrington’s Climate who has been running in top-class Group contests and although her only victory came at Navan last September, she has been close up in her races. Last time at Newmarket, she was a close-up fourth beaten only one and a half lengths behind Dreamloper, she can go well here.
At Beverley, the 2.40 is the bet365 Handicap and Daniel and Claire Kubler’s Percy’s Lad heads the weights and the betting for this seven and a half furlong handicap.
Percy’s Lad has been victorious in both his starts this season but they were both pretty weak contests.
David O’Meara’s new recruit Blue For You comes over from Ireland with a patchy record and it remains to be seen if O’Meara has him firing on all cylinders, he is best watched.
Rising Star won on the all-weather at Newcastle in March for trainer Marco Botti and was fancied at Ascot earlier this month but trailed in the last of nine.
Charlie and Mark Johnson’s I’m A Gambler seems to save his best runs for Hamilton but he did run a fair second here at Beverley in April and will be close again.
But my preference is for Adrian Keatley’s delightfully named Wobwobwob who was only beaten 4 lengths behind Dakota Gold at York earlier this month over a distance that didn’t suit. This extra 330yds may make all the difference and he carries my hopes.
Finally, at Chester, the 3.45 is the ICM Stellar Sports Handicap run over one circuit of the Roodee, seven and a half furlongs. The top weight here is Stuart Williams’s Humanitarian who has not shown his form of old so far this season after being dropped in distance. He seems to want further.
Several of the runners have experience of the Chester turns which seems an advantage and one of these is Tim Easterby’s Boardman who won here last May. He won at Thirsk earlier this month after running 5th here at Chester when going off the favourite, he will be close.
A place in front of Boardman that day was Hugo Palmer’s Fools Rush In who won here twice last season. He tried to make all the running last time and a more cautious ride could see him be victorious here once again.
I will mention Spirit Of Light trained by Ian Williams whose horses always seem to run well around here, he can be placed at a nice price.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.20 Haydock. Rock Eagle
2.55 Haydock. Climate
2.40 Beverley. Wobwobwob
3.45 Chester. Fools Rush In
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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